Good morning Diners. A large coffee please, Flo. In fact leave the jug.
Seems it was quiet in the Diner. I hope all is well.
Road and Rail Bridges over the River Tyne plus a footbridge.
These are the World famous bridges spanning the River Tyne at Newcastle. That is quite a collection for such a small distance by any standard.
Thoughts & Peace to All who Require
David
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
Good morning, diners.
Just coffee this morning. I'll have donuts at church.
Some more 'before winter preparations' for our house today. There's nothing major to work on, just small things that need to be done before snow decides to show up.
Looking through websites for pictures of railroad bridges, I have been surprised at the number of new bridges, and new bridges with neat designs, that we have in the U.S. I guess they are just not in the news, and I haven't paid much attention. We have built some amazing structures over the past 20 years
I love autumn. The temperatures are lower, and the countryside out here on the plains takes on beautiful colors. While we don't have the oranges and reds, the tans and golds are beautiful out here.
The harvest is in full swing. It's pretty amazing to drive in the country at night, and see the huge machines lit up crawling through the fields.
While most people drive through here or fly over, there is a beauty here to be seen if you slow down and take the time to look.
This photo was taken about five miles straight south of my house. This is the scene for thousands of square miles around me.
I hope the quiet diner means that everyone is busy. I hope everyone will check in to let us know they are OK. Have a good Sunday.
York1 John
I asked my doctor if I gave up delicious food and all alcohol, would I live longer? He said, "No, but it will seem longer."
Kielder, Northumberland.
My adopted County. I have lived longer here than in my County of my birth, Yorkshire.
Kielder Viaduct. Built by The Border Counties Railway; part of The North British Railway.
Kielder Water & Forest Park
Automobile carriers are, by design, very low to the ground. I wonder what would make a driver reason that they could make it over a raised crossing like this without consequences?
A little body work may be needed before these vehicles make it to the showroom floor
Cheers, Ed
gmpullmanAutomobile carriers are, by design, very low to the ground. I wonder what would make a driver reason that they could make it over a raised crossing like this without consequences?
It is very easy for a driver that has been pulling 53' dry vans for years to get stuck with an auto-carrier or a low-boy. They just forget what they are pulling, and BAM! They are stuck.
Kind of like what happens when someone that has driven an SUV for years tries to drive a U-Haul into a McDonalds drive through.
We had a massive spill from a 40 foot fuel trailer a few years ago when it bottomed on a grade crossing and knocked off a piece of piping.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
SeeYou190They just forget what they are pulling, and BAM!
Guess a sign wouldn't do much good either.
Oklahoma-RxR by Edmund, on Flickr
I talked with KEN a few minutes ago. He's hanging in there but now dealing with some heart problems
Hang in there, Ken!
gmpullmanGuess a sign wouldn't do much good either.
Not any more good than they do at stopping U-Hauls from hitting awnings.
I hope Ken gets through this. Thanks for that update.
Ed, if you talk to Ken again, be sure to tell him his friends in the diner are thinking of him.
I consider myself a fairly safe and attentive driver.
However, outside of red lights and stop signs, sometimes other signs seem to all blur together.
I blame it on the fact that many cities and states now have too many signs along the roadways.
I read a report once on the use of automated light signs on the Interstates that gave traffic messages. They found that if messages were displayed everyday, or there were more than just several signs, the drivers tended to ignore them.
I wonder if signs like that RR crossing sign just tend to get ignored with all the many signs, especially if a driver is concentrating on an unfamiliar road?
Good Evening,
Ed, thanks for the update on Ken. Hope he comes back to the Diner as he is missed.
We had a glorious day here, sunny and 65F. Still no frost yet but that will end this week. The piliated woodpecker visited our yard again today. It went to the suet log and we were sitting only 4' away.
Have to see the Doc tomorrow for a follow up on the BP meds. It is working as my BP was 106/65 today.
Nothing new here. I've been haunted by memories the past few days of a dog I had over 40 years ago. Not sure why but I got him this time of year in 1974. We really bonded. He was an Afghan Hound and a real character besi des being great looking. He sure could run.
Well tea time,
CN Charlie
Evening all from a soggy West Coast.
Spent over an hour at the Lawyers this morning signing documents for this Estate I have been dealing with and then talked with the Accountant for a while on the phone.
My Son came out from town and we went and saw the new James Bond movie in the IMAX. I have seen every single Bond movie in the theatre since the first one in 1963 I believe. I will likely go see the new Top Gun as well just because I am an airplane junky. The trailer they showed made me wonder if I should see it as it looked like a rehash of the last one. I probably only see one or two movies a year in the theatre but I'll go with the kid, I sure love spending time with him. We were early to the movie and he bought us credits for the arcade. The guy that worked there recognized him from Deadpool 2 back when it came out and calls him Mr. Deadpool. I asked him how long he had been working at the theatre and he said 14 years.I can't imagine.
The kid is talking a lot about getting married. I think they may just do what my wife and I did and take off to Kaui and get married at the Hyatt. We told everyone that's what we were doing and we would buy dinner for anyone that showed up. I think we had over twenty fly over and the Hyatt put on an amazing spread.
I sat in on some accident review panels and we would not concentrate much on who was at fault, but whether or not the accident was preventable or non-preventable. The ones that really made us shake our heads were the ones where the parking brake had not been applied. Depending on the size of the vehicle you put the vehicle parking brake on and put the vehicle in park. Larger trucks would have the brake applied and the wheels must be chocked upon exiting the vehicle. I think the most expensive one was where the driver did not apply the parking brake and failed to chock the wheels upon exiting. The very strong wind blew the truck into a fully loaded 747 about to depart. Had the driver chocked his wheels it would not have happened. Redundancy.
Once we were driving through the mountains 200km East of Vancouver and a semi had flipped on a hairpin turn and there were packages of toilet paper everywhere. The RCMP, highways crew, and driver were handing toilet paper out to all the cars that were driving by the accident scene. They had it cleaned up in no time.
John, you are right about the stunning beauty of the prairies. The last time I was there we drove across Alberta on section roads it was awesome. Hitting tiny towns and seeing the remaining grain elevators in various states of the inevitable just added to the adventure. My son and I were discussing some of our off-road ghost town adventures today. The skid plates under the truck earned their keep on some of those trips. My daughter was just home for thanksgiving and she said she was showing some of her friends at the University, videos of one trip we took way into the backcountry. We had one very strange experience at an old long abandon gold mining settlement once that we often talk about but are still not sure about.
Ed, I am glad to hear you talked to Ken and sure hope he can get his health issue's under control. It would be nice if he could pop in and sit a spell.
Think I'll hit the hay early tonight as listening to Lawyers and Accountants hurts my brain. I am sure glad I have them though. I am glad it is not my money I am shoveling out the back of the truck to pay them though.
All the best to all.
Sprinkler car.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
I had some fun on Sunday!
I have spent several weeks working on a kitchen design for my son Cole and his wife Kaitlin. On Sunday I got to present them with my designs plus a whole bunch of do's and don'ts'. My presentation took the better part of four hours and they were very interested throughout the whole thing.
I actually did three designs. One was based on Kaitlin's perception of what she thought they could afford. Her concept would have accomplished very little besides changing the look of the existing cabinets so we quickly set that one aside. The second design included an island which they had thought they wanted, but I showed them that there just wasn't enough space. The third design gives then tons of floor space, cabinet space and counter space. They were very pleased with that plan.
We also discussed a bunch of related items like countertop materials, backsplashes, lighting, outlets, cabinet options, plumbing, sinks and changes to the existing window.
Overall it was a great day. Of course, it helped a little bit when Dianne and I gave them a sizable cheque which should cover the majority of the cost. We also gave them an early Christmas present in the form of a Bradley smoker so they could use it throught the fall.
I never imagined that I would be able to be this generous with my kids. We went from paycheque to paycheque for many years, and I thought our whole life would be a struggle financially. Thanks to my ancestor's hard work and Dianne's successful career, we are sitting pretty.
Cheers!!
Dave
By the way, I used 3rd PlanIt to do all the detailed plans and elevation drawings. It was easy!
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Good morning Diners. Tea and toast please, Brunhilda.
Our thoughts to Ken for a speedy recovery.
Bridges
Durham City & Railway Bridge. (A Short Silent Film)
Causey Arch, Stanley, County Durham
The beauty that we have on our doorstep in the north east of England. Causey Arch, near Stanley in County Durham, the oldest surviving railway bridge in the world. Built between 1725-6, a masterpiece in its day.
60103 Flying Scotsman crossing Croxdale Viaduct, County Durham.
Thoughts & Peace to All who Require.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Good morning everyone.
Ed, thanks for the update on Ken. I hope he will consider stopping in periodically and keeping us updated. I'm sure we're all pulling for him.
Dave, very generous of you. Sometimes I feel like we will never get there, other times I remember where we once were and I feel more confident. I suppose that's normal for most people.
No work on the layout this weekend, but I did manage to put a few laps in with a freight train. Layout work has been in fits and starts for a while now. I think I just need to force myself down there for a day. I seem to have trouble getting started lately, but always feel good about what I've accomplished, even if something small.
Can't believe it's the middle of October already. Starting my favorite time of year.
Cheers!
Mike
hon30critterI never imagined that I would be able to be this generous with my kids. We went from paycheque to paycheque for many years, and I thought our whole life would be a struggle financially.
Exactly the same here...
I look back on when the girls were young and I have no idea how we managed to stretch the family budget to get them everything they needed growing up.
Now, I am amazed at how little it costs us to live. We have no bills or debt, and we exist with no real worries. We were able to be very generous with the girls a few years ago when they all really needed it, and life is good.
Good Morning Diners,
Thought you might enjoying seeing a 5-bridge complex over the Calumet River at 97th Street, 12 miles south of downtown Chicago.
The first photo is taken from the 95th Street "Blues Brothers" vehicular bridge. The two nearest vertical lift bridges are PRR bridges, the inner one of which was removed some years back, but the closer PRR bridge still stands today. The two more distant vertical lift bridges are NYC bridges which are still there today. The fifth and most distant bridge is the B&O bascule bridge which was destroyed by an errant ship. Only the lift portion remains today in a fixed upright position.
The second photo is a view from the other side with the B&O nearest in the photo.
The third photo shows a simple way to take down a bridge, in this case the B&O bascule bridge.
Source: industrialscenery.blogspot.com
Rich
Alton Junction
Good Morning All,
A regular to go please Zoe. Hope Ken pulls through ok and Ed, when you speak with him next, please give him my best wishes.
Still swamped at the shop but with the travel restrictions not lifting for tourist air travel from Europe until November 8th my Danish driver will miss the last well attended race for his season here. U still have Daytona then COTA on consective weekends but we will be one car down from what we had planned.
No progress on anything train related yet but I have continued sorting boxes and putting other stuff away and have pretty much filled a 3 x 12 storage locker in the basement with the kids stuff that was left at the last house. The two prime culprits have fairly small apartments so I'm still cutting them some slack.
Once I finish putting things away, I can pull the rest of the ceiling in the basement rec room as it is covered in mouse droppings anyway. Then spray foam for the edge of the foundation and floor joists. One thing at a time.
All for now and back to it in the shopp. Ciao, J.R.
Good morning, diners. Bacon, eggs, and black coffee, please.
I thought today would be a good day for doing nothing, but things changed. We will have visitors tomorrow, and my wife wants the house cleaned. That means I will be helping. I guess visitors are good -- it's about the only time we really clean the house anymore.
So far, October has been beautiful here. Some years, we go straight from summer to winter; several years we've even had snow beginning in October. This year, we have days in the 70s, and nights in the 40s. It's perfect. I do have to wear a jacket for the morning walk, and I will be happy when Daylight Saving Time ends.
I looked that up. I have been used to calling it Daylight Savings Time, but found the preferred way is not have the 's'. I'm not a grammar nazi, so I don't think it matters -- everyone knows what is meant. David, you can correct me, but don't you guys call it Summertime?
I would prefer to have it all one time all year. We are on the west side of the time zone, and this time of year, the sun doesn't come up until 7:45 a.m. That means all the kids waiting at school bus stops are in the dark. I used to worry about things like that. Retirement is great.
I found this photo in the Nebraska Historical Archives. It seems to me to be a very unusual bridge. I don't know what the massive pieces are. Are they metal sheeting over parts of the trestle? To me, it looks like something is not quite right with this.
The date is 1889, so I didn't know if they made massive metal plates like that yet. The only other information I could find was that it crossed the Niobrara River in northern Nebraska:
Have a good day, everyone.
York1 I looked that up. I have been used to calling it Daylight Savings Time, but found the preferred way is not have the 's'. I'm not a grammar nazi, so I don't think it matters -- everyone knows what is meant. David, you can correct me, but don't you guys call it Summertime?
John. We have Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter,
Not much Summer this year. The weather has been on the cool side.
Our Autumn is your Fall; which reminds me I have to clear the paths of the leaves.
Something a little different. I came across these two old films. Enjoy!
Volks Electric Railway.
The oldest electric railway in Britain is a little narrow gauge line at the seaside.
A sea voyage without sea sickness. The Pioneer (popularly known as Daddy Long Legs) took passengers from Brighton to Rottingdean, through the sea, in the early 1900s. This documentary was made in 1982 on Super 8 film.
NorthBritJohn. We have Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter,
Here in Central NY, we have Autumn, Winter, Spring, and Road Repair!
Just poping in to let anyone who might actually care that I am still around....
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
Does the UK use Daylight Saving Time? How about New Zealand?
The clocks in the UK go back 1 hour the last Sunday in October. Come 20th December it is really dark collecting the grandchildren up from school at 3.15pm.
howmus Here in Central NY, we have Autumn, Winter, Spring, and Road Repair!
Ray-
The version I heard of the 4 seasons in Maine is winter, more winter, still more winter and road repair.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
MisterBeasleyRay- The version I heard of the 4 seasons in Maine is winter, more winter, still more winter and road repair.
Yep! We use that one to! Or.... Almost Winter, Winter, Still Winter, and Road Repair.
Actually, all the seasons can be quite good here in the Finger Lakes Region. Always something of beauty to fall in love with...
https://www.fingerlakes.com/youknow/
We have all four seasons down here...
11 Months of Summer
2 Weeks of Fall
1 Day of Winter
2 Weeks of Spring.
Good afternoon Diners. A large coffee and a donut or two please, Flo.
A busy morning playing taxi to the family.
Now friends visiting shortly.
Disused Railway Viaducts.
North of England
An aerial perspective on some of the North's great disused railway viaducts, still gracing the landscape long after the tracks they carried were torn from the map.
Scotland
An aerial perspective on four of Scotland's great disused railway viaducts, still gracing the landscape long after the tracks they carried were torn from the map.
Good morning, diners. Lots of black coffee, please.
Another beautiful day on the plains -- temps are in the 70s, with no humidity, and the leaves are changing color.
My little town is suffering from a lack of workers, just like many places. Our restaurants especially have few workers. We are still not certain why. Our town's population has not changed. Our Interstate interchange has 11 restaurants and fast food places, and they are all short of workers. The town's newspaper is filled with "help wanted" ads.
My men's group met at 6:00 a.m. at a sit-down restaurant every Friday morning for years. Now the restaurant doesn't open until 11:00 a.m. We currently are meeting at a fast food restaurant, but that's not ideal for what we need. Not sure what the answer is.
Two years ago, our town finally got all four railroad crossings as quiet crossings. Early this morning, a train came through with its horn blowing. Years ago, I wouldn't have even noticed, but now that horn is a real attention-getter. Our town is only about 1½ miles across, and with four crossings, it seemed that trains basically had one long horn blast all the way through town. The quiet zones have really changed that.
Hope everyone has a good day today!
York1Our restaurants especially have few workers. We are still not certain why.
Down here the belief is that all the restaurant workers found out they could work in other industries and make a living. Now the experienced restaurant workers are not trying to re-enter the restaurant work force, and they need to train a bunch of kids from scratch. These new employees are not staying in the workforce very long because restaurant work is hard.
We have only a few restaurants operating at full capacity. Many dining rooms are still closed. A lot or mid-scale restaurants are open for dinner only.
We just put out the Christmas decorations at work a over the weekend. Already over half of our stock has sold. We sold over $50,000.00 worth of Christmas today alone! That was over 25% of our daily sales.
This is crazy. It is not even Halloween yet!